Olson



R. OLSQN VINE CLEARIFJG DEVICE Jan. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled March 2, 1955 'INVENTOR. Ruvouw 04.504 BY;

. Arrow er Jan. 6, 1959 R. OLSON Re. 24,585

VINE CLEARING DEVICE Original Filed March 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6/ /9/a /2 s? m) )/5;C)'1/6 7/626 /7 5 go /5 '1 J'HHHMIII nHIHHH D T l a 0*UI an -r u my; 2&- 4

E as I I2 33 1 I .w 1 I a. IHHHY f IIIHIIH") lad 37 25 26 INVENTOR.Ruaouv/ 04sa1v A TI'ORA/ United States Patent Ofiice Re. 24,585 ReissuedJan. 6, 1959 VINE CLEARING DEVICE Rudolph Olson, Franklin, Minn.,assignor to Dahlman Manufacturing Company, Braham, Minn., a corporationof Minnesota Original No. 2,802,326, dated August 13, 1957, Serial No.

491,583, March 2, 1955. Application for reissue February 17, 1958,Serial No. 715,841

8 Claims. (Cl. 171-12) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to a device to be used in connection with atwo-row potato digger or a two-row potato combine and hereinafterreferred to as a harvester. In harvesting potatoes it is found that thepotato vines gather in the space between the aprons of said harvesterand directly in front of said space. In a heavy vine area it has beenfound that said vines can clog up said space between said aprons andstop the progress of said harvester in a space of twenty to twenty-fivefeet. Potato harvesters are generally drawn by a tractor and in a heavyvine area it is not unusual for the entire space between the harvesterand the tractor to be entirely filled with an accumulation of saidvines. The vines directly in front of the aprons will be carried away bythe conveyors moving on said aprons but the central area or the spacebetween said aprons will become filled with and clogged up by anaccumulation of said vines. The vines easily intertwine to pile up into'a tangled mass making the operation of harvesters difficult. Manymethods have been attempted to overcome this condition including therelatively expensive one of having a person stationed at the front of aharvester with a tool in hand to prevent the gathering of said vines. Itis desirable to have an economical and eflicient means for preventingsaid gathering of vines.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a device to beused in connection with a two-row potato harvester for breaking up andclearing away vines which tend to gather at the front of said harvesterin the space between its aprons and to prevent the accumulation of saidvines in front of said space.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device to be used inconnection with a two-row potato harvester to be disposed [between]adjacent the aprons of said harvester and to have members operating asan integral part of said harvester for clearing out vines [from saidspace and] to prevent their accumulation in front [thereof] of saidaprons.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device to be usedin connection with a two-row potato harvester to be disposed between theaprons of said harvester comprising a member pivoted to the frame ofsaid harvester, a plurality of spaced blade members or teeth dependingfrom said member, and means carried by said harvester for reciprocatingsaid member and said teeth depending therefrom.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a device to beused in connection with a two-row potato harvester comprising asupporting bar disposed between of said harvester, a crank having oneend pivoted to said member, and means carried by said harvester forrotating said crank and actuating said swinging member to reciprocatesaid teeth for clearing away vines from the space between said aprons.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section [side elevation] taken on line 1 1of Fig. 3, as indicated by the arrows,

showing portions in different positions by dotted line;'

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional [broken away portion of a] view [inelevation] taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of applicants device.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 3, the front endportion of a harvester is illustrated comprising a frame 10 havingspaced longitudinally extending members 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d and atransversely extending front end member 10e. Referring to Fig. 2, saidmember 10 has a transversely extending rearwardly disposed member 10f.Supporting said frame are wheels 12. Transversely spaced tongue members14 are pivoted to said member 10c.

Mounted on said frame are aprons 15 and 25. Said apron 15 comprises sideplate members 15a and 15b which will be pivoted at their rear endportions to said members 10a and 10b not here illustrated and which arerespectively supported at their front ends by links 15c. Said links aresecured to shaft 17 journaled in bearings 18 carried on said members 10aand 10b respectively. A hand operated lever 19 is secured to the outerend portion of said shaft 17 for rotating the same to actuate said linkswhereby said members 15a and 15b will be raised and lowered. Said lever19 will have secured at its lower end a notched semi-circular member 19aand will be provided with a stop member 19b whereby said lever may beheld in position at any desired point about said member 19a with saidmember 19b engaging said notches.

Disposed on said apron is a conveyor belt 20 here illustrated as beingformed of spaced transversely extending rods having interlocking endportions. Said conveyor belt passes over sprockets 21 at the front endportion of said apron. Said sprockets are secured to a shaft 22 and saidshaft will have its ends respectively journaled in bearings carried insaid members 15a and 15b. Carried at the front end portion of said apronis a substantially V-shaped blade 24. Potato harvesters generally areadapted for digging potatoes or for digging and gathering potatoes orfor gathering them only with said potatoes having been previously dug.The type of blade here illustrated is adapted particularly to gatherpotatoes which have already been dug and said potatoes are movedupwardly of said apron by said conveyor belt.

Said second apron 25 is identical in structure with said apron 15 andcomprises side plate members 25a and 25b with said plate members beingrespectively pivoted at their rear end portions to said spaced members10c and 10d not here illustrated. Said members 25a and 25b are supportedat their front end portions by links 25c. Said links are secured to ashaft 27 journaled in bearings 28 respectively carried on members 10cand 10d. A lever 30 is provided identical in structure to said lever 19having its lower end secured to said shaft 27 for rotating the same andfor moving said apron 25 upwardly or downwardly. A conveyor belt 32identical in structure to said conveyor belt 20 is disposed between saidside members 25a and 25b and passes over sprockets 33 at the front endportion of said apron 25. Said sprockets are secured to a shaft 35 andsaid shaft is journaled in bearings 37 with said bearings being securedin said members 25a and 25b. A blade member 39 is carried at the frontend of. said apron 25. The structure of said harvester -is of a commontype and the details of its structure are well known in the art.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, in the embodiment of applicantsinvention here illustrated a supporting bar 40 is provided. Said bar ashere illustrated is comprised of two right-angled members having theiradjacent sides vertically disposed. Said bar will be of substantiallength and will be disposed in the space between aprons and 25. Saidmember 4!) is pivoted at its rear end to a swinging member 42 by aremovable pin 41. Said member 42 is pivoted at its other end to astationary pivot 43. Said pivot 43 is secured to members 10b and 10c.Said member 42 has a plurality of spaced apertures 42a at its other orupper end and will be pivoted to said member 43 by a bolt 44 at one ofsaid apertures 42a. Thus the length of the swing of. said member 42 isadjustable. Depending from said member, 40 and secured between itsadjacent sides, as by removable pins, are a plurality of spaced bladesor teeth 45, 46 and 47. Said teeth 45 and 46 are held from rearwardmovement by angle members 45a and 46a. The tooth 47 is held from aforward swinging movement by an angle member 47a.

An upstanding stationary pivot 56 is secured to the central portion ofmember lite and extends upwardly for a short distance and has aplurality of spaced apertures 50a at its upper end portion. An arm 52 isprovided having one end pivoted to the upper end of said member 50 atone of said apertures 50a. An arm 54 is provided forming a swingingmember and having a plurality of spaced apertures 54a at its upper endportion and spaced apertures 54b at its lower end portion. The upper endof. said member 54 at one of said apertures 54a is pivoted to the otherend of said member 52 and its lower end at one of said apertures 54b ispivoted to the front end portion of said bar 40. A crank 56 has one endpivoted as by a pin or bolt 56a to the central portion of said member54-. The other end of said crank is secured to a shaft 57 journaled inbearings 59 respectively secured to said members 10a and 10b. Said shaft57 will have an end portion extending outwardly of said member 102. fora short distance and secured to said end portion is a pulley 61. Passingover said pulley 61 is a drive belt 62. Said drive belt 62 will passover a driving member carried by said harvester and not hereillustrated.

in operation, said drive belt 62 will be driven by a power means on saidharvester, such as the power means used for driving the conveyors and31. Said drive belt will drive pulley 61 and rotate shaft 57. Said shaft57 in turn will rotate crank 56 in a clockwise motion. Said crank willswing member 54. The swinging motion of member 54 will move the teethdepending from said bar through an elliptical path pulling teeth and 46forwardly to break up and clear away any vines gathered in the spacebetween said aprons 15 and 25. Said bar 40 will move forwardly andupwardly and rearwardly and downwardly. In its rearwardly and downwardlymovement said [blade member] tooth 47 will break up and push rearwardlyany vines which may have moved rearwardly between said aprons. In therearwardly and downwardly movement of said bar 40 said teeth .45 and 46will swing upwardly over any obstructions whereas tooth 47 is heldrigidly to break up such obstructions. In the forward and upwardmovement of said bar 40 said teeth 45 and 46 are held rigidly inposition whereas said tooth 47 is adapted to swing rearwardly over anyobstructions. The use of three teeth is illustrated in the embodiment ofthe invention here presented but any number of teeth may be used. It hasbeen found that the use of threeteeth is [are] efficient in operation.Said teeth will be disposed so as to clear the surface of the ground attheir lowestpoint.

The length of the path through which said teeth are reciprocated iseasily lengthened or shortened in ac cordance with the effective lengthof said members 42, 52 and 54 which may be varied as desired dependingon the apertures through which said members are respectively pivoted.

Thus it is seen that I have provided a simply con structed, easilyoperated and efficient device for preventing the accumulation of vinesin the space between the aprons of a two-row potato harvester and forclearing away the vines from said space. Applicants device has beenthoroughly tested and has been found to be y successful in operation.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which, generallystated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects aboveset forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1,. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato harvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons having in, combination, alever having one end pivotally mounted to the front end portion of saidframe centrally transversely of said aprons and extending inwardly ofsaid frame, a second lever having one end pivotally secured to the freeend of said first lever and extending downwardly, a transverselyextending shaft journaled in. said frame in substantially verticalalinement with theforward end portions of said aprons, a crank securedto said shaft, said second lever being pivoted to said crankintermediate its ends and a plurality of rigid blades extendingdownwardly to a point near the ground level operationally connected tosaid second lever, and means for rotating said shaft whereby said bladeswill be reciprocated to kick forwardly and prevent the accumulation ofvines between said aprons.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, means for holding some of saidblades in rigid position when moved forwardly and permitting said bladesto be pivoted freely when moved rearwardly, and means for holding theremainder of said blades in rigid position when moved rearwardly and forfreely pivoting said blades when moved forwardly.

3. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato harvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons having in combination, alever normally in a substantially horizontal position having one endpivotally mounted to the front end portion of said frame centrallytransversely of said aprons, a second lever having one end pivotallysecured to the free end of said first lever and disposed in asubstantially vertical position, a transversely extending shaftjournaled in said frame in substantially vertical alinement with theforward end portions of said aprons, a crank secured to said shaft, saidsecond lever being pivotally connected to said crankcentrally thereof,and means for rotating said shaftwhereby said second lever isreciprocated through an elliptical path, a plurality of rigid bladesextending down- Wardly substantially to ground level connected to saidsecond lever and means to hold said blades rigid during the forwardmotion of said second lever and freely pivoted during the rearwardmotion of said second lever.

4. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato. harvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons having in combination, anarm comprising an" elongated bar pivoted at one end to the front endportion of said frame centrally of said aprons and extendinglongitudinally of said frame, a second arm having one end pivoted to thefree. end of said first arm, a shaft journaled in said frametransversely thereof in vertical alinement with. the. front end portionsof said aprons, a crank secured to. said: shaft in alinement with saidfirst arm, said second: arm pivoted centrally thereof to said crank andhaving its lower portion extend below the level of said frame, and meanscarried by said frame for rotating said shaft and said crank, a thirdarm spaced rearwardly longitudinally of said frame from said second armand pivoted to said frame and depending therefrom be tween said aprons,an elongated bar pivoted at each end respectively to the free ends ofsaid second and third arms and being disposed below the level of saidframe, a plurality of spaced rigid blades extending substantially toground level pivoted to said bar whereby said bar and blades arereciprocated by said first and second arms as said crank is rotated.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, means for holding some of saidblades in rigid position during the forward motion of said bar andpermitting said blades to pivot freely on the rearward motion of saidbar, and means forholding the remainder of said blades in rigid positionduring the rearward motion of said bar and in a freely pivoted positionduring the forward motion of said bar.

6. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato h rvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons having in combination, anarm having one end pivotally mounted to the front end portion of saidframe, a second arm having one end pivotally secured to the free end ofsaid first arm and extending downwardly, a transversely extending sh ftjournaled in said frame, a crank secured to said shaft, said second armbeing pivoted to said crank intermediate its ends, and a bladeoperationally connected to said second arm and extending downwardly to apoint near the ground level, and means for rotating said shaft wherebysaid blade will be reciprocated.

7. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato harvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons h ving in combination, anarm having one end pivoted to said frame, a second arm having one endpivotally secured to the free end of said first arm and disposed in asubstantially vertical position, a transversely extending shaftjournaled in said frame, a crank secured to said shaft, said second armbeing pivotally connected to said crank, means for rotating said shaft,and a blade operationally connected to said second rm and extendingdownwardly to a point adjacent the ground level whereby said blade isreciprocated through an elliptical path.

8. A vine clearing device used in connection with a potato harvestercomprising a frame and a pair of spaced aprons having in combination, atransversely extending shaft journaled in said frame, driving meansassociated with said harvester for rot ting said shaft, a crank securedto said shaft, an arm disposed in a substantially vertical position,said arm being pivoted to said crank at a point intermediate its ends,means associ ted with said harvester connected to the upper end of saidarm for limiting the movement of the upper end of said arm, and a bladeextending downwardly to a point near the ground level beingoperationally connected to said arm whereby said blade is moved throughan elliptical path for reciprocation.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patent1,262,674 Jones Apr. 16, 1918 2,452,418 Zuckerman Oct. 26, 19482,484,496 Gordon Oct. 11, 1949 2,547,355 Young Apr. 3, 1951

